Loren Christie: Travel Correspondent

CARP Lifestyle show

2007-11-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there in the 50 Plus set?

I am giving a talk at the CARP Lifestyle show on Saturday, November 10th. I will be talking about being a responsible traveller...easy or not?

See you at the Intercontinental Hotel on Bloor at 11 a.m. ...it's free!

Fast talking....!

2007-11-08T18:03:00.000-05:00

Motor mouths start your engines!

Expedia.ca and World Record holder search for Canada’s fastest talker

How fast can you say visualize your Vegas vacation at the Venetian? Expedia.ca is challenging Canadians to put their vocal cords to the test and fast talk their way to the ultimate Vegas vacation!

Starting October 22, Canadians will get the chance to recite their dream Las Vegas vacation online as fast as possible within 15 seconds. Entrants can upload their video or voicemail submissions to www.FastTalkToVegas.ca where the top 10 finalists will be chosen by user-generated votes. Finalists will compete in a live event where the winner will receive a free trip to Vegas for them and five friends!

I have the privilege of being one of the three judges along with Sean Shannon from Expedia.ca, ...but the real expert here is Fran Capo, the Guinness Book of World Records’ fastest talking female. Fran holds the Guinness Book of Records title with 603.32 WORDS IN 54.2 SECONDS – that’s 11 words per second!

Judging will be held at Second City in Toronto on November 20th! See you then!

I'm the judge!

2007-08-21T15:36:00.001-05:00

Travelocity.ca wants Canadian travellers to share their travel experiences while at the same time, have a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas. The result is Travelocity.ca's "Share Your Travel Experiences" photo contest (www.travelexperiences.ca or www.travelocity.ca/photocontest) (“Contest”). The Contest, which began on July 11, 2007 and ends on September 10, 2007, allows Canadians to share their travel photos with friends, family and fellow Canadians, while having the opportunity to win fabulous prizes.

The prizes for the Contest include digital cameras and a grand prize three-night trip for two to Las Vegas from Travelocity.ca. Travelocity.ca has also partnered with Black’s, Canada’s leading national photography retailer, to add a range of photo finishing and digital printing packages to the prize pool. Black’s will also be helping participants to maximize their chances of getting that winning shot by providing digital photography tips on www.travelexperiences.ca.

Canadians are encouraged to enter their photographs into one of ten travel categories, including:
Fun with Family and Friends Romance & Relaxation
Nature’s Glory Travels in History
Big City, Bright Lights Life’s A Beach
Sports & Adventures The Great White North
Eco-Tourism Entertainment Extravaganza
Our panel of judges will select one winner from each travel category, including one overall grand prize winner (a travel category prize will not be awarded for the category from which the grand prize winning entry was chosen). The judging panel will judge the photographs entered into the Contest based on Artistic Merit; Technical Quality; and Creativity. The Grand Prize winner will receive a three-night trip for two to Las Vegas from Travelocity.ca and a photo finishing package from Black’s valued at $1,000 (Canadian Dollars). There will be nine travel category winners and each will receive a digital camera from Travelocity.ca, and a photo finishing prize package from Black’s valued at $100 (Canadian Dollars).
In addition, visitors to Travelocity.ca or Travelexperiences.ca sites will be able to rate their favourite photographs (based on 1 to 5 stars, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). The entrant whose photograph receives the highest average star rating will be eligible to win the User’s Choice Prize, consisting of a digital camera from Travelocity.ca, and a photo finishing package from Black’s valued at $100 (Canadian Dollars).
The judging will be performed by a high-quality panel including Brian Simpson, General Manager of Travelocity.ca; Phil Chapman, Vice-President, Imaging and Development for Black Photo Corporation; Loren Christie, Travel Correspondent for Canada AM; Kathryn Folliott, Associate Editor of Travelweek; Paul Burwell, Edmonton-based photographer and Let’s Go Digital columnist for Outdoor Photography Canada magazine; and Graig Abel, official photographer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.
For more information about the photo contest and complete rules and regulations, visit www.travelexperiences.ca.

Amazing Race Finale

2007-05-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

The Amazing Race – All-Stars comes to a conclusion this Sunday! I am rooting for the Beauty Queens. Really, they deserve it. It’s a gruelling race and they have kept their spirits high the entire time. Although, apparently they fall apart a bit in the finale. Let’s hope it’s not their downfall.

A couple of years ago I had brunch with their fellow racers, Uchenna and Joyce Agu on their first trip to Toronto. Here’s what these globetrotters had to say:

Q: What has impressed you the most about Canada?
Uchenna: The hospitality. Even before we were famous, I spent some time in Vancouver and Calgary and the common thread I have found is that Canadians are truly warm and genuine people.
Joyce: I am also surprised by how vibrant the cities are. Toronto seems like a great walking city and it’s so glamorous and glitzy, like Vegas or Miami. Ottawa was pumping too.

Q: What would make a good “Roadblock” in Ontario?
Uchenna: You need something that offers “surprising complications”. Apparently, the windows of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa spell out a message in Morse code. Having to figure that out would be perfect.
Joyce: Or zip-lining between the buildings in Toronto.

Q: And a good “Detour”?
Joyce: It would have to be “The Rideau Canal - Skate or Swim”.
Q: If it’s cold enough to skate, you couldn’t swim, could you?
Joyce: Good point. Well how about that other funny sport? You know, “The Rideau Canal – Skate or Curl”. It would have to be Winter though.

Q: And a “Pit Stop”?
Uchenna: The architecture in Ottawa is beautiful when lit up at night. I would say the Parliament Buildings.

Q: What were three negatives about appearing on The Amazing Race 7 ?
Uchenna: Finding potable water.
Joyce: Lack of sleep. We were on the road for five and half weeks.
Uchenna: Yeah, that really was tough. You could never relax. You were constantly thinking about what your next move would be.
Joyce: Another big negative was not having free time. Although in Argentina, England and Botswana, they did give us a 36-hour break. You didn’t see that on TV.
Uchenna: Yah, in those places we were able to go on some tours and see the country. We loved the animals in Botswana.

Q: What were three of the best things about appearing on The Amazing Race 7 ?
Uchenna: The people we met.
Joyce: And we were able to see so much of the world. Botswana was a place that we would never have gone on our own and I loved it. We slept 30 feet away from hippos and crocodiles!
Uchenna: Also, what you learned about yourself. People live within set, comfortable boundaries and this experience forced us to go beyond our boundaries. People say “I can’t” a lot, but how do you know until you try?
Joyce: It was so empowering to know we are capable of so much.

Q: If you had give fans three travel tips, what would they be.
Uchenna: Get off the tour and participate in local behaviours and traditions. Acutally make contact with the locals. The people add colour, the cities are just the bricks and mortar.
Joyce: And definitely bring lots of baby wipes. Not all countries have toilet paper.

Q: Would you come back to Canada?
Uchenna: Definitely. This is such a creative country. Really. The positive energy and acceptance offered by everyone we’ve met is really…amazing!
Joyce: We plan on coming back for Caribana. We love Toronto.
Uchenna: And if you know anyone from Tim Horton’s tell them I am available to be their spokesman.

About Loren Christie

2007-03-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

Loren is a fervent traveller who has visited more than 40 countries around the world. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs over the last six years and especially enjoys promoting the joys and pitfalls of travel to Canada AM’s viewers across Canada, as the show’s resident Travel Expert.

In addition to his Canada AM duties, Loren has worked extensively in the travel & hospitality industry for the last twelve years. As a tour guide, Loren spent three years traveling around the world by bus, by train, by plane and by ship….with 40 senior citizens in tow! Whether leading tour groups along the Great Wall of China, doing walking tours of Copenhagen or giving lectures on a cruise ship in New Zealand, Loren managed to see the world.

For the last seven years, Loren has worked with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide, Inc. in various capacities such as public relations and marketing. He currently works in sales management and handles the international meetings and conventions market for the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.

His expertise on all aspects of the travel industry has also led to duties as a moderator for the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. Look for Loren at their Global Education Forum taking place in Miami in May, 2007.

You can watch some of his past AM segments at www.canadaam.ctv.ca.